Beneath the Ice
by Jediempress
Summary: Zack comes home early and finds Leon in an unexpected state. Inspired by conversations with Sassy-Aloo and Akiko. Complete.


Okay, the story behind this is Sassy is playing through VIII and we have been commenting on Squall and Rinoa. I was on the phone with my friend Akiko and we went off on a tangent from that involving Zack. This is the result.

The movie is an old film titled Random Harvest, which is one of my all time favorite films. I highly recommend it to anyone into old films.

The higher powers still will not give me the rights to these guys.

Beneath the Ice

Zack bid Sephiroth farewell and walked up the few steps leading to the front door. The house was dark and silent, not surprising given the time. It was nearly three in the morning.

The meeting with Maleficent's contact had drained him emotionally and physically but Sephiroth was confident that Zack had passed first inspection flawlessly and they would be hearing from the witch soon. Both were surprised how little time it had taken. The envoy had merely asked a few pointed questions and left.

Grinning to himself, Zack could not wait to crawl into bed and wrap his arms around Leon. He could just see the man's sleepy, surprised face that Zack was back nearly a day early. Then again, the scarred man would probably simply snort indifferently and go back to sleep. Or at least pretend to.

He loved when Leon tried to play Ice Prince with him.

Deciding he was a sick man and not really caring, Zack slowly opened the door and stepped in. He frowned into the room, silently shutting the door behind him. On the television played a black and white film Zack had never seen before.

Stepping closer, he could just observe the top of Leon's head peeking out from the arm of the couch. Another step and he swore he heard quiet sobbing. He glanced back at the screen where the man in the film was speaking frantically to the woman, almost pleading. She appeared to be in shock.

Lifting an ebony eyebrow, Zack stood directly behind the couch and looked down. Leon was stretched out, an afghan wrapped around him. One arm rested on his side and the opposite hand held a tissue. The ex-SOLDIER took one look at his expression and smirked.

"Are you crying?"

Leon's head whipped around fast enough to give him whiplash, tear-streaked face staring at Zack. He did not say anything but the surprise was written all over his features. Whether it was due to Zack's unexpected appearance or being caught in the state he was in, the other man could not tell.

Shaking his head, Zack chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me, Squall."

Casting off the afghan, Leon sat up. He turned half-away and rubbed at his eyes as if simply trying to wake up. "You're back early."

"Things went a lot better than we expected." Zack walked around the couch. Sitting casually on the opposite end, he studied Leon with amusement. "I can't believe you're crying over a movie."

Leon set his jaw, narrowing his steel eyes at him.

Zack laughed, in no way intimidated. "Man, only chicks cry at movies."

"Whatever." Leon moved to stand up but Zack threw his feet up onto his lap. He shot a glare at his lover who only smirked.

Propping his head up on one hand, Zack grinned. "So what's with the chick flick?"

"It's not a chick flick." The sable-haired man countered irritably. He looked at the screen. "The two of them met during the war after he was caught in an explosion, fell in love and got married. Several years later, while on a business trip, he was in an accident and developed total amnesia. She searched for him for years and when she finally found him, he had met another woman and started a whole new life. She didn't want to disrupt this new life but she couldn't stand to be away so she got a job working for him, hoping that eventually he would remember her.

"After a while, she just could not handle him not knowing her anymore so she went back to the town they had lived in. Now, his doctor knew who she was and agreed to try to help her get his memory back. She left with the doctor several clues which he gave to the man. He finally pieced it all together and went to the town, which triggered all of his memories back only now he didn't remember any of the time he had amnesia."

Leon frowned deeply. Those tears were back in his eyes. "The whole thing just really struck me."

Zack watched him a moment before letting out a slow breath. "Wow, Leon. I never would have believed you were such a romantic."

The former SeeD gave him a withering look.

Zack chucked and moved his feet. He held out his arms. "Come here."

Leon was still clearly annoyed but he shifted around to half-lay on the older man, head resting on his chest. Zack wrapped his arms around him and they quietly watched the end of the movie. Zack had to admit, it was a rather moving story and he smiled a bit as Leon again started crying.

For all the stoic, unmoved by anything attitude the man presented to the general public, Zack had seen from the beginning just how caring and emotional Squall truly was. It was the reason he had fallen for him as fast as he had. It was that hidden part of him that had called out to him.

As _the end_ came up on the screen, Zack wiped at Leon's eyes. The younger man glanced up and smirked lightly. "You're going to tell everyone about this, aren't you?"

Zack chuckled and brushed the side of his face. "Naw, I think I'll save it for future blackmail."

"Hmmm."

"Come on," Zack nudged Leon's side a bit. "I'm tired."

Leon got up followed closely by Zack. The raven-haired man took his hand and led him upstairs, still marveling at the complexities of his new lover. It was always the supposed tough guys who had the biggest hearts.


End file.
